Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1917)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA8KA. Sowing florr . orsnvioc 1. A I '8 4 The leading clergy of Germany preach that the world must suffer until it accepts Teutonic rule administered by the Kaiser UJtRAII rind Hallelujah" In tho ruth cr startling tltlu of n new hook pub lished, dealing with Germany's wnr spirit. It Is written by n citizen of n neutral tuition, mid n theologian, J. P. Bfing, I). I.( profesnor of the ology lit the University of Copen hagen, nnd he Justifies If h tltlu by the statement that "the new Oor mini spirit Iiiih found one of Its most classical expressions In 11 col iloctlon of poems published by a Gernnni pastor, nonsistorlalrat Dietrich Vorwerk, under the sig nificant title, 'Hurrah and Hallelujah,1 and I find 'In this combination something ho absolutely char acteristic of the German Hplrlt that I have adopted 'It ns the title for thin book." This hook, In the opinion of Ralph Connor, who hnn written tho preface to It, "constitutes tho most terrific arraignment of Germany tl iroiiL'li Imr In 'tellcctunl nnd religious lenders which has yet been put forth. Out of her own mouth It Is that she Istands before tho world condemned. And the ;trngedy of It nil Is In this, that these men (whom Doctor Ilnni? quotes) are sincere, deeply, pns jslonatcly slncore. And herein consists tho awful nemesis that has after 50 years' pursuit at length overtaken the German soul. For the crime of Germany today of which these sermons and lec tures convict her Is not hypocrisy; but the long ipractlce of hypocrisy has Induced In her a spirit ual blindness which has become nt once her lonlnmlty nnd her curse." "The nllles," Hays Doctor Hans, "have denounced the Germans as barbarians. If this were meant to Imply that Germany was not a civilized nation l(Kulturnatlon) such an accusation would, of icourse, he absurd. Germany Is unquestionably a iclvlllzcd nntlon and none of tho spokesmen of Itho allied powers would think of denying that she llins produced rich treasures of 'Kultur.' Wherever tho German mind luis labored, wonderful riches hnvo been the outcome. In the most dlverso do mains, hut especially In those of music, of liter ature, of Hdenco and religion. It would bo easy to mention names that shluo with tho luster of renown throughout tho wholn wmiii. tint ti, Ichnrgo of barbarism points In an entirely different direction. It points to a development within Ger Imnny which hns been going on with headlong (rapidity, especially during tlio last no years. Even tho highest Kultur pan turn to barbarism when jit becomes subservient to utterly false and Im moral luens. in Germany such a craving for power, such n worship for mere strength, has taken root and grown, that the claim of riM to bo n determining fnctor In International relations nan nccn entirely pushed nsldo. A colossal and over Increasing solf-admlratlon, a hollef In tho glory of all things German, tho surpassing merits of tho German naturp (Wescn), which nlone linn ino rignt to rule tho world, a cynical, brutal asser tion that In relation to this claim nil existing treaties, nil appeals to International law, all con isldcrutlon for wenkcr peoples, aro of no slgnlll ennco whatever all this wo have witnessed with shuddering astonishment. Foretold Belgium's Fate. "Tho first pluco Is duo to Ernst Morltz Arndt, tho great German patriot of tho time of tho War jof Liberation. As early us 1834 ho declared In ono of his writings that tho neutrality of Belgium could not possibly bo maintained In a future wnr. Illo wrote: '"IJelglum, tho grannry nnd nrmory, Is predes tined to ho the battlefield In the strugglo for tho .Mouso and tho Rhine. I ask any general or states man who has seriously considered tho problems ,of war and politics whether IJelglum can remain Inoutrnl In a Europenn war that Is to say, can ho irespected us neutral nny longer than may appear expedient to the power which fools Itself poa iscssed of tho beat advantages for attack.' "Tho German wrlfor, G. Traub, makes Mio fol llowlng Inimitable comment on tho above: "Thus nn Arndt hns, as far back as 80 years 1 a go, given us absolution for this so-called breach of neutrality, having foreseen that It Is lioro a question of higher necessities, nnd that Itelglum herself, that "half French country," cannot pos sibly remain neutral.' "Tho second German prophet Is tho well-known philologist nnd theologian, l do Lngardo. Already In 1874 ho expressed tho view thnt Bismarck's crcntlon of tho German empire was only nn opl node on tho wny to tho fonimtlon of tho Great Mid dle European state, Ho calls tho German emplro 'Little Germany.' Even at that time Lngarde, ns a (German has lately put It, formulnted tho uatlonnl demands which Jho Germans, 'not with unblush ing arrogance, but realizing tho Inherent necca- Mty of tho case,' must consider ns tlio Indispen sable foundation for tho Gorman people's co-operation In tho history of mankind. Thcso demands jaro extensions of frontier both towards tho East ind tho West. "Tho grentest and most popular of all tho now German prophets Is, however, tho poet Emanuel Gelbel, whoso centenary lias recently been cele brated (horn 1815, died 1884). It Is ho who has given tho clnsslc expression to tho new German jliopo of Germany's victorious march through tho jworld. This lias been achieved In tho lines to which I hnvo already roferred, and which aro .quotefl times without number In tho nowest Gor man wnr llternturo: "'Und cs ning am doutschon Wescn Elnmnl noch dlo Welt genesen 1' "Tho world may yet ngnln bo healed by Gormnn ilun? Tho hope hero expressed hns becomo n cer Itnlnty for modern Germany, nnd tho Germans seo lln this tho moral basis for all their demands. He inays: ' " 'Hnrmmiv lind set her mind 111)011 but dlllK her diouso In peaco, hut then camo her hereditary foo, puITetl up with venom nnd envy, tho moon so Icrltnlnully shed shall ho upon hlni and his brood. 1 Wo do not dream of nn easy victory; this wnr la n world Judgment, nnd strong is tho spirit or lies; ibut I10 who was onco tho stronghold or our fathers will ngnln seo us safely through It, bo assured of llhntl " 'God, who went before us In tho llnino of tiro, inow grnnt our people strength for tho last vic tory, strength to root out tho dark seed of lies, (tho foreign alloy, from our hearts, In faith, word fund deed. Enter lit every portal, thou strong German spirit, which, horn of light, dost show us tlio way to light, and establish In our midst, nt onco weapon-strong and pious, In freedom, dis cipline and morality, thy millennium.' The German Lord's Prayer. "The new Gerinun spirit has found one of Its most clnsslcnl expressions In n collection of poems published by n German pastor, Konslstorlnlrat Dietrich Vorwerk, under the significant title, 'Hur rah and Hallelujah.' In tho first edition of Pastor Vorwerk's poems there occurred 11 pnrnphrnso of tho Lord's Prayer, of which I will clto the last three petitions und tho close: '"Though the wurrlor's bread be scanty, do thou work dally death and tenfold woes unto the enemy. Forgive In merciful long suffering' ench bullet nnd ench blow which misses Its mark I Lead us not Into temptation of letting our wrath bo too tamo In carrying out thy dlvtno Judgment 1 Deliver us nnd our ally from tho Infernal enemy and his. servants on enrth. Thine Is the king dom, tho Gormnn land J may we, by nld of thy steel-clad hand, achieve the power nnd the glory.' No thus Invokes God In a battle prayer: "Thou who dweliest high above cherubim, seraphim and Zeppelins In thy henven; thou who art enthroned ns a God of thunder In tho midst of lightning from tho clouds, nnd lightning from sword und cannon, send thunder, lightning, hall and tempest hurtling upon our enemy, bestow upon us his banners, hurl him down Into tho dnrk burlnl pits." Another poet, Fritz Phlllppl, has written the following poem, entitled "World-Germany:" "In tho midst of tho world war Oerinnny lies llko n peaceful garden of God behind the wall of her armies. Then tho poet hears tho giant strides of tho now armor-clnd Germany: tho enrth trem bles, tho nations shriek, tho old ern sinks Into ruin. Formerly German thought was shut up In her comer, but now the world shall hnvo Its coat cut according to German measure ('.Tetzt wlrd der Welt gemessen Der Rock nach deutschem Mnass'), nnd ns far us our swords Hash and German blood Hows, tho circle of tho earth shall como under tho tutelage of German activity. "Wo hnvo become a nation of wrnth; wo think only of tho war. Wo execute God'a almighty will und tho edicts of his Justlco wo will fulfill, Im bued with holy rage." Other German poets revel In radiant visions of tho blessings which victorious Germany Is to show er upon tho poor, thirsty, ailing world. German Virtue "Gushes." Ono F. Llcuhardt writes: "When these storms hnvo done their work, Ger many's purest mission begins: to becomo a placo of refuge, 11 holy grovo for nil tho seekers of tho earth, a central land, a land of wisdom, a land of morals. Then will It bo tho flower-wreathed hospitable gateway, facing towards the glittering Enst." Another, K. Illldebraud: "Blessings stream and How down upon those who hnvo given themsolvos up to theo; there Ger man virtues gush limpid forth, there German power wells up. What a draught from this spring 1 Strong nnd deep nnd of high courage, the German spirit flows nlong, the German nature (Wesen) Hows fnr over tho llfo of all nntlons." Hero Is an extract from a Gorman theological professor, tho burden of whoso thesis was that room must bo found In tho world-history for that grent event, tho healing of tho sick world by Ger manism : "There aro nlso signs thnt tho Gorman people may bo singled out by God to bo tho means of 'onco ngnln' defentlng the destructive nutl-Chrls-Unit tendencies of the age, and, In virtue of his having Intrusted thorn nbovo others with his pure gospel, carrying on tho course of tho mission to Its consummation. So much Is certain, that God Is planning to do something with us. Our people ore Inspired by tho thought that they nro called upon to play 11 special part In the decisive but tlo between light and darkness, and by tho hope of them standing on tho side of light." In the report of an addross by another Gc'iiim theological professor, In tho Uerllucr Lofcalan- (Oscar Ceiiaro in Now York Evening Post.) zelger for November 13, 1014, wo rend ns follows "But the deepest and most thought-Inspiring re sult of the wnr Is 'the Germnn God.' Not tho nn tlonnl God, such ns the lower nntlons worship, hut 'our God who Is not nshnmed of belonging, to us, tho pecullnr acquirement of our heart. Mux Lenz hns nlrendy testified to tho revelation of the 'German God,' and Luther's hymn, 'Ein' teste Rurg 1st unser Gott,' merely expresses the same Idea In other words." Doctor Rang then proceeds to substantiate his statements In detail by quotations from Germnn wur sermons, of which wo hnvo only spuco for ono or two samples. II. Fraucke Is tho author of 11 popular book of "war-sermons," which wns ornamented with tho iron cross and published at tho request of numerous members of his Hock. Hero Is u typical utternnco of tho many quoted by Doctor Rang: A Promise of the Lord. "They envy us our freedom, our power to do our work In peuce, to excel in vlrtuo of ability, to ful fill our appointed task for tho good of tho world und humanity, to heal tho world by the German nuturo, to becomo n blessing to tlio people of the earth. Wherever tho Germun spirit obtains su premncy, thero freedom also prevulls. And have not our enemies to full hack upon lies and ven omous cnlumntcs In tho endeavor to Justify their assuult In tho world's eyes and their own? Does this not provo that tho truth, too, 1b with us? Truth and freedom, those two great blessings, nro In our gospel promised by the Lord himself. "Germuny Is precisely who would venture to deny It? the representative of the highest mo rality, of tho purest humanity, of the most chustened Christlnnlty. He, therefore, who tight for Its maintenance, Irs victory, fights for the highest blessings of humanity Itself and for human progress. Its defeat, its decline, would mean n fulling buck to tho worst barbarism." Walter Lehmann Is tho pastor of Hnmherge In Holstcln. Ho has nreached 11 sni'li'H nf Nurnwinn which he has published under the title: "About' 1110 uerman liou." Tlio book is ornamented with the Iron cross. In a sermon of August 23 the question is put: "Who Is responsible: the crazy murderer In Sern Jcvo, the weakling In character und will on the Russian Imperial throne, tho criminal grand dukes, our neighbors on both sides, or the deceitful Islnnds? In any caso It Is not we." Ho then Inuds tho Fatherland, tho mother tongue It Is for these wo nro fighting, nnd "Germany Is tho future of humanity." "Ho who In these days sets forth to defend tho German hearth, sets forth In a holy fight; ho sets forth to a grent, Incomparable divine service, In which, indeed, ono neither prays nor sings, but in which one stakes life Itself, this single sweet, beloved life, for the llfo of a wholo nation, a na tion which Is God's seed-corn for tho future." In a discouno on Sedan day, September 2, he rises to lortler heights. "Onco ngnln German wil dlors are treading tho soil of plnccs rendered fa mous by the war of 1870-71. Once again German soldiers lie nt St. Quentln, preparing, quietly and confidently, for the march on Purls. God writes, indeed, n wonderful history. "Yes, but so It Is, my frlonds: thnt glorious feat of arms 44 years ago gives us cournge to believe thnt tho German soul Is the world's soul, that God and Gormnny belong to ono another." Hero Is ono from Karl Koenlg, the author of "Six War Sermons:" It Is God's Will. "God iloos not will the wur, but ho wills thnt we, as Germans, shall will freedom, hecnuso other wise wo cannot fulfill our great tnsks In. the serv ice of mankind, nnd be enabled to become a sourco of love and light, of truth, virtue and religion. We Germans did not will the wnr, but we did will nnd are bound to will freedom. And becnuso they will not let us huvo It, It wus God's will that wo should will the wnr. And thus wo carry on the war In God's cause, In tho cause of mankind, in the cnuso of liberty, in the cause of our dear, great Fatherland." Kansas City Star. MINOR NOTES FROM ALL PARTS OF NEBRASKA DATES FOR COMING EVENTS. May 22-2,5 Nebraska Sportsmen's As soclntlon Annual Tournament at Fremont. Mny 24-25 State Association of Com morclul Clubs' Meeting nt Alllnnce. Juno 4 to 7 Nebrusku State Dental Society Meeting nt Oiniihn. Juno 0 to 7 Nebrnsku-Iowu Funeral Directors Joint Meeting nt Omnlia. Juno 5-0-7 State Association of Post masters' Meeting at Lincoln. June 15 to 24 Nebraska State Holi ness Association camp meeting nt Lincoln. Juno 18-20 Nebraska Press Associa tion Annual Convention at Omaha. June 10-20 Nebraska State Sunday School Convention nt Oinnhu. June 2.") to 27 International Ass'n. of Hallway Special Agents nnd Po lice Meeting nt Oninhn. Juno 25 to .10 Stnto Golf Tourna ment nt Lincoln. Tho position of supervisor of Ger mnn In the Omnha public schools, which has been hold by Ferdinand Stedlnger has been abolished nnd It is the belief of school board member thnt Gormnn will not bo tuught in Omnha schools next year. Bread In Omnlia Is selling for ten cents per pound. Tlio manager oE ono baking concern stntcs he nlms to mnke his loaves from sixteen to sev enteen ounces, but one pound for ten cents Is the prevailing price. The Dodge county Sunday school nssoclntlon is planning to run nn 'nutomobilo spcclnl" to Omaha for the purpose of attending the state Sunday school convention Juno 18 to 1. Scottsbluff will entertain the Grand Lodge of the Nebraska Knights of Pythlns In nnnunl session next year. This wns decided at the recent meet ing of tho order nt Lincoln. The Geneva board of education has decided to graduate all seniors Im mediately who will work on farms. Several hnvo signified their Intention of tnklng advantage of the offer. Tho Nebraska League of Savings nnd Loan Associations meeting, which wns to be held nt Hastings this month, hns been postponed until tho fnll months on account of the wnr. Hotel men In Lincoln say thnt It costs from 30 to 75 per cent more to run n hotel now than It did eighteen months ngo. They contcmplnto a sharp ndvnnco In rates. ITnrold Desmond, dope fiend nnd burglar, confessed to police thnt he lind robbed thirty-seven stores in Omaha within the Inst month nnd stolen $5,000 worth of loot. Stanton hns opened modern rest rooms for women. Fnrmers' wives find them n grent convenience on shopping days and their town sisters serve ten gratis. Fivo hundred boy scouts, armed witli shovels, rnkos, hoes and other farm Implements, pnradod through tho downtown streets of Omnha In a 'farm preparedness" pnrndc. Dr. Bailey, druggist of Bushnell, Kimball county, wns arrested recently on the charge of keeping intoxicants for sale and pnld n fine of .$100 nnd costs In the county, court. Building opsrntlons at Omnha dur ing the month of April were 13 per cent larger than for the correspond ing month of last year. More than 230 head of rtittle were auctioned off nt Fremont. The entile wore sold In carload lots and brought $1 20,000. Sixty Aurora school children hnvo enrolled In tho school garden project lnunched by four of tho leading wom en's clubs of the town. Aurorn Is to hold a special election Mny 20 to vote on n $40,000 school bond proposition. A brnnch of tho Red Cross society hns been organized nt Elgin. A movement Is to bo Inaugurated to put a silo on every farm In Gage county this summer to aid the farmer In raising stock nnd conserving the food supply. A Bentrlco bank offers fnrmers of tho county loans at 2 per cent per nnnum to further tho move ment. Tho executive committee of tho Stnto Press association held a meet ing nt Omnhn tho other day at which time n tentative program wns nr ranged for the nnnunl meeting to bo held In the Nebrnskn metropolis on Juno 18. 19 and 20. Lincoln's street car strike, which hns been seriously Interfering with traffic nnd business for two weeks, Is nt an end, according to President W, E. Sharp of the Lincoln Trnctlon Co. He declared thnt nine of tho strikers had gono back to work and completo service has now been restored. Work on tho now nnnover Germnn Lutheran church nt Beatrice is nenr- Ing completion, and It Is believed will bo ready for dedication In July. The church will cost over $40,000 when completed. Three thousand Ave hundred dol lnrs of tho $0,000 bonus asked by the Westovcr Foundry of Lincoln, which plans on putting In n foundry nt Nor folk, lias been subscribed by Norfolk citizens. Tho question of constructing n sewerage system la being discussed nt Itnndolph, and nn election will be held May 29 to voto $0,000 bonds for tho purpose. l'ho Omnhn dty council hns passed an ordinance ranking It a fine of $5 to ?100 for trospnsslng or molesting gar den plots In any wny. Nebraska's winter wheat crop for this year Is placed at 11,500,000 bush els according to May 1 estimates of tho United Stntes bureau of crop sta tistics, n little more thiin one-sixth us Inrge ns lust year's crop, which wn? close to 01,800,000 bushels. Much nl fitlfu In tho stnto has been killed, but no estimate Is mnde. Bed clover Is Hourly u totul loss, says tho report, und the buy supply in Nebrusku is the lowest In yenrs. Douglns county ofllclnls swooped down on Anton Larson, 11 dnlrynmn west of Omnhn, and seized the larg est qunntlty of booze ever conllscuted In this part of tho country. The con traband contained 1,230 cases of beer and approximately 500 gallons of whiskies nnd wines, vnlued nt 55,000. Lnrson declures tho liquor was for his own personal use. Ho was ar rested and relensed on bond. Cliiiuncey Abbott, junior member of tho firm of Wells, Abbott, Nlemnn company of Schuyler, operators of one of the largest flouring mills In the stnte. nt 11 meeting of the National Federation of Millers at Kunsas City was appointed n member of n commit tee of four to go to Wushlngton to confer with the federnl Agricultural department relntlve to making wnr flour. Exeter citizens gave John Bnrley- com n public funeral the other day. A procession of automobiles, headed by n enr containing the coffin in which lay the elllgy of old Al K. Hull. brought tho body to the center of town nnd a public cremutlon took place. A mnle qunrtette furnished the music. Lincoln banks subscribed for $200,- 000 of government wnr bonds. The largest subscription came from tho Nntlonnl Bnnk of Commerce, which took $100,000 of the bonds. Other bunks are contemplnting additional subscription nnd It is anticipated double this amount will bo subscribed from tho city. Albln Vrnspir, of Clarkson, 32 years old, former training partner of Joe Steelier, who admits he Is worth more than $200,000 In his own nnme. has joined the nvintion brnnch of the nr- my ns n private. He bus sold his $50,000 nutomobilo bustness In Clnrk- son nnd is now nnxious to do "his bit." A Cnss county merchnnt proposes to let three of Ills clerks go to the fnrm for three duys In the week, thnt they mny help produce Inrgcr crops for the world's grentest emer gency." Ho will pny them wnges while they nre thus working for somebody else. Omnhn Is contemplnting the estab lishing of a municipal cnnnlng fac tory. The Idea would be to equip the plnnt so thnt vegetnbles raised by Omnhn people could be brought there nnd ennned, nnd turned bnck to the growers for only the nclunl cost of tho canning. Peru Stnte Normnl fnculty, by n unnnlmous voto, decided to grnnt credits to students who enlist or who present evidence to show thnt their services In ngrlculturo or elsewhere will help solve the present nntlonnl problem. Thirty Fremont school boys from 13 to 18 yenrs of nge hnvo signed up for fnrm work. High school students who quit school to work on the farms will bo given their credits for the re- mnlnder of the term. Nebraska military men hnvo fig ured out thnt thero nro npproximntely 125,000 men in this stnte who will hnvo to register under tho conscrip tion lnw with the nge limits fixed nt 21 to 31 yenrs. On June 5 Omnhn will annex two more suburbs Benson nnd Florence, nccordlng to nn ordinance passed by the city council. AVIntcr wheat is reported as in ex cellent condition in the western part of tho state and a good crop Is looked for.. The Waterloo Creamery company of Omaha has mnde Fnlrbury a big branch. A coroner's jury found that Calvin Lambert, former Omnha street cur conductor, fired the shot that killed Wlllinm Miller during tho street cur strike in Lincoln. Lambert will hnvo to fnco n churgo of second degree murder. Ho wns employed by tho car company to aid in breaking tho strike. Hastings butchers hnvo entered nn agreement not to slnughter cnlves nor to sell venl until nfter November 1. It Is hoped thnt other towns will do like wise and thus help to inukc more cer tnln tho supply of beef next fall and winter. Tnrtus Shermnn wns killed at Red Cloud by the caving In of a sewer ditch. Ho wus working In tho trench back of a ditching mnchlno when tho side of tho ditch gave wny nnd ul lowed the dirt piled nlong tho ditch to fall with llttlo warning. Tho lnborlng people of Bentrlco hnvo organized a club known ns tho laborers' liberty league of America. The purpose of the league Is to "pro vide for members nil tho necessaries of life nt the lowest possible cost." Louie Shcnr is president. Cusunltlcs among tlie Canadian oversens forces us given out by tho wnr records ofilco nt Ottnwn, Can., show thnt J. A. Boucho of Greeley, Neb., wns killed in nction somewhere in Europe. "Motor Highway," a semi-monthly publication devoted to nuto owners nnd good ronda In Nebrnskn Is a new periodical to bo launched In Lincoln Juno 1. Over thirty Kearney Stnto Normal school students hnvo enlisted In either the nrmy, the nnvy or tendered their services to farmers.
